MARTIN O'Neill has promised a big summer at Aston Villa in a bid to stop the club from simply "stuttering" forwards.

MARTIN O'Neill has promised a big summer at Villa Park in a bid to stop the club from simply "stuttering" forwards.

The Villa boss refused to bring in second best during the January transfer window and instead placed his trust in his current squad to cement a European place.

But in the closed season he will be hoping his patience pays off with a major flex of the club's purchasing power.

He said: "We'd definitely be looking to enhance the squad.

"We've put in a bedrock but now this club should be looking in that upward direction and keep going in that direction, not stuttering and standing.

"Now sometimes that happens, but the general direction of this football club should now be on the up.

"The point is, when we have people come to the club, I want them to battle to get into the side."

O'Neill has been operating with a 23-man squad that compares with the smallest in the league and he is adamant the stature of Villa demands a squad bustling with not only numbers, but quality.

His experience in Scotland with Celtic taught him that if a club wants to compete on numerous fronts they have to have the resources.

"You look at Everton now. They've got lads at the African Nations Cup but they're still able to compete," he said.

"But they have earned the right because they have been in there for the last four or five years.

"For us as a football club - I'm not saying the team - but as a club we should be able to carry a fairly substantial squad because we are big enough.

"Everton have had all those games in the UEFA Cup and then they go into the league format. You have to field a side to play in all those games and then you have to come back the following Saturday and play in the league.

"I know all about this because I had that at Celtic for five years.

"We had Champions League games and then we were playing Dunfermline with the same side the following Saturday.

"You do need to carry people. Everton have just got knocked out of a two-leg semi-final of the Carling Cup so they have had to play those games to get there.

"We couldn't have done that this season with the squad we have. But next season if we can manage it, then definitely."

Despite promising change O'Neill is confident his team will be able to deliver a fine end to the season for the supporters.

"I have great faith in the team," he said. "You look at our fixture list and we're basically playing once a week now.

"I could have signed six players and they could have all been injured but it would have meant a bit more safety in numbers.

"But if we want to try to compete properly, then you really do need a squad."